I haven't had a chance to try Old Rasputin yet. I've had Founders Breakfast Stout and KBS though, sadly no CBS but maaaaaybe if I can score some of Cantillon's Lou Pepe and Fou' Foune this year.

Still, I'm quite happy to have had KBS, Alesmith Speedway Stout, Great Divide's Yeti and Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti and Jester King's Black Metal (old one, not farmhouse) whilst living halfway across the world from where they're brewed. I'd love to try so many more but at least I get easy access to De Molen's fancy stouts.

I work one day a week at a beer store. This is PA, one of the last two states to have state control of alcohol. Liquor and wine are only from state owned stores, and beer distributors are licensed by the state and only sell cases. You can buy sixpacks at bars and some licensed restaurants. It's weird. You can't get beer (or wine) at a grocery or convenience store.

Most of what we sell is run of the mill american sex-in-a-canoe (it's fucking near water). The stuff that looks the same going in as it does pissing out. But we have a few cases of more interesting beers - still pretty run of the mill by comparison to the craft brews you mention.

Thing is, a case is too much of an investment for something untried, in my book. And I don't do bars.

You could always check out the breweries themselves to try out their beers.Although I don't get why as a state you'd limit the stores to only selling by the crate, that's just stupid. I'll help you hope that the laws on that will see change soon.And while not quite legal (for the company anyway), I think Halftimebeverage does ship to PA, so that's a way to try singles. Ordering beer still requires a fairly large investment to make the shipping costs worth it but at least you won't get 24 of the same beers.

I have Yeungling Lager every Monday night at poker. It's yummy... I hear the Black&Tan's quite good, too. We also have Straub's, which is another old local brewery.

The governor's trying to change the law to make more money for the state by selling more licenses. The beer distributors (including my employer, a good friend from church) are concerned about losing their businesses...

I'd say allowing shops to sell singles and/or sixpacks would work better, especially since that helps out craft beer and craft beer has been growing at an average of 12% each year for the past couple of years while the beer market as a whole has stagnated.

Craft beer and all this fancy stuff is rather uncommon here, due do the German "Reinheitsgebot". Some time ago it only allowed only water, hops and barley as ingredients of German beer, currently yeast, wheat malt and cane sugar are allowed as well.

Anyway I'm not much of a beer drinker, but from time to time I really enjoy a beverage of the Flensburger brewery. The Pilsener is amongst my favourites, and the Dunkel is great as well. Also we're rather close to Flensburg, so the availability is high.Yesterday I tried a anniversary beer of them, they call it "Edles Helles", which was really good.

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Quote from: Terry Pratchett

He had the look of a lawn mower just after the grass had organised a workers' collective.

You guys still invented stuff like Rauchbier even with the strict limitations on beer, which is all kinds of awesome but unfortunately, right now Germany is years behind on the whole craft beer thing. There are a few small breweries (BrewBaker, Fritz, Freigeist Bierkultur) making innovating beer but lots of German beer is stagnant and pretty much exactly like every other German beer in that style. Much like what has happened in Belgium where there's dozens of "abbey" brands that all make the same sweetened blonde, dubbel and tripel.

Where countries like the USA had a beer landscape that was so flat that it pretty much started a revolution of craft beer and countries like Italy, Norway and Denmark had little to no tradition to keep them rooted in one place and see more experimental breweries because of that Germany has a beer culture that is still reasonably varied and a very strong tradition that more or less locks it into place. It's going to take a while and quite a bit of influence from neighboring countries before Germany sees more craft beer.

But until then, you'll at least have wonderful breweries like Heller-Trum/Schlenkerla, Weihenstephan and Schneider & Sohn to tide you over.

Belgium does have some innovative brewers, innovation is more part of the tradition of brewing in Belgium though, and the famous brewers from Belgium are still mostly brewers who brew traditional styles, with some exceptions of course and there's much more innovation within those styles.

My favourite is Guinnness Special Export Stout. Especially because I can get it pretty damn cheap. Best price to quality ratio short of Duvel.Also, the new Duvel Tripel hop should be arriving in my neck of the woods soon. I hope it's as good as the last one.

Proost. Proost, Geluk, or GezondheidDutch (Flemish) ProostGezondheid (to your health)In pure dutch (netherlands) you should say, 'gezondheid' but more common is 'proost'. Any othter expresion in any language can be and will be used. As long as we can drink it will be OK.

Fat Tire Ale, from the New Belgium Brewery. Several years ago I was in Fort Collins for the AP exam readings, where New Belgium's located. It was strictly local back then, but with the craft beer craze of late, I've seen it in other places. It's delicious, and I love the label, too...

New Belgium made a limited run of s'more stout, it was like drinking a smore with 9.6% av. You wouldn't want to drink more than one, but that one was amazing. Guiness is too bready for me, I prefer dark beers with flavor.

Did I mention that I live where they make New Belgium? And that they are probably one of the more mediocre breweries around here?

Nice, I love IPAs, especially the Imperials, and I always like trying new ones. I'll try one of those once I start drinking again. (In case that last sentence gives the wrong idea, I stopped entirely to reduce calories)

I enjoy a nice dark beer every once in a while when I get sick of girly drinks Guinness Extra Stout is indeed a great one (as are these deliciously ridiculous concoctions). A local brewery makes a pretty good stout too- Mother's Milk. A friend gave me a growler for my birthday and ohhhh mannnnn good times. They also make a similar brew- Joe Mama's Milk- same thing but with coffee added.

When I'm not in the mood for a dark beer, I like the fruitier stuff- Magic Hat #9, Woodchuck Cider....and I've never met a lambic I didn't like.

There are a ridiculous number of micro brews in the pacific northwest. Boise has some truely great ones including Crooked Fence and Payette brewing. Their respective porter and IPA are my favorite I have tried and are available in cans at most grocery stores. With so much selection and rotating taps all around the city it is hard not to be a beer snob.

I'll be getting more hours at the Beer Barn now that schools out. But my friend the owner is thinking of selling, because PA is changing it's prohibition era beer and liquor laws, and most of the changes would put her out of business anyway.

Thing is, I can think of a dozen ways to make it work with the new laws... but she's near retirement, and I don't think investing in the business is on her priority list.

As a beer distributor in PA, we can only sell by the case. The only places that can sell six packs are licensed bars and restaurants. That restriction would be gone, and if the store is larger, with six-pack coolers, specializing in micros and imports along with the locals and big sellers - to really become THE Beer Barn, with monthly tastings... business would take off, and make the 20-times more expensive licensing worth it.

We'd be competing with groceries and convenience stores (including Wal-Mart and Sam's club - ack!), but that's where specializing in the good stuff comes into play... let them sell the miller, bud and Sam Adams.

Yuengling is pretty good... it would be nice if it was available in Oklahoma (that will happen around the 12th of Never...) Of the beers available here, I usually end up getting Shiner Bock, unless I'm at a bar that offers the local microbrew (I've forgotten the name of it).

I built the walls that make my life a prison, I built them all and cannot be forgiven... ...Sold my soul to carry your vendetta, So let me go before you can regret it, You've made your choice and now it's come to this, But that's price you pay when you're a monster with no name.